TACOMA, Wash. – A smoke-free housing PSA is now running in Pierce County movie theaters. It’s an effort to end tobacco use and educate about the dangers of residential smoking. “The state fire marshal reports smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in Washington,” said George Hermosillo, smoke-free housing coordinator. “We want people living […]

By Christopher Bodeen and Ralph Jennings Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen as its first female president Jan. 16, handing her pro-independence party its first majority in the national legislature and rejecting the China-friendly party that has led the self-governing island for eight years. The result should be deeply unsettling to […]

On Jan. 19, the Metropolitan King County Council declared January Human Trafficking Awareness Month in recognition of the ongoing effort to call attention to this form of modern day slavery. “In order to stop the scourge of human trafficking in our county, we need a coordinated and unified response,” said Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, a co-sponsor […]

By Jocelyn Moore Northwest Asian Weekly Injured international students from the Ride the Ducks accident on the Aurora Bridge will be given private insurance plans if they lose student health coverage during prolonged medical leaves, state officials said last Friday. Phuong Dinh, 18, is at the Seattle Keiro Nursing Home. She suffered a broken leg […]

“Today [Nov. 17] I participated in a briefing with federal officials regarding the policies and protocols in place to screen all refugees – including Syrian refugees – seeking to resettle in the United States. The conference call was a chance for governors to speak with officials from the White House and the departments of Homeland […]

By Matthew Lee AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s official. The U.S. government says it’s abandoning decades of tradition and moving out of New York’s famed Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which was purchased last year by a Chinese firm from Worldwide. President Barack Obama, his staff and the sizable State Department contingent that trek to Manhattan […]

By Matthew Pennington Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic lawmakers and rights groups on July 27 accused the State Department of politicizing its annual rankings of nations on their efforts to combat modern-day slavery, as key trading partner Malaysia was taken off a blacklist. Cuba was also given an upgrade, a week after the U.S. […]

By Thanyarat Doksone Associated Press PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — Testimony began July 14 in a criminal defamation lawsuit filed by Thailand’s navy against a small news website over a report it posted saying naval forces accepted money to assist or turn a blind eye to the trafficking of refugees from Myanmar by sea. The navy […]

By Sharon Lee Special for Northwest Asian Weekly This is the first time I will not be calling my dad and sending him a card on Father’s Day. It is hard to express this sad and empty feeling from losing a parent. Luke T. Lee passed away suddenly in January at age 91 from Parkinson’s […]

By Eric Talmadge Associated Press PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — If you’re still looking for somewhere exotic to go this summer and don’t mind a vacation that comes with a heavy dose of socialist propaganda and leader worship, North Korea says it’s just the place for you. Fresh off a drastic, half-year ban that closed […]